A multilevel information recording apparatus is disclosed, which includes a control unit that inputs signals to a strategy generating unit and a laser drive unit based on the multilevel information being recorded, a signal indicating the playback and recording state, and a clock signal indicating the cell frequency that is in synch with the multilevel information. The strategy generating unit generates a pulse signal in accordance with the timing of the laser beam emission of a write pulse, an off pulse, a bias pulse, and a space pulse based on the signal from the control unit and the clock signal. The laser drive unit determines the driving current of a laser light source based on a delayed playback signal/delayed recording signal that is obtained by delaying the playback signal/recording signal for a processing time of the strategy generating unit, a pulse signal from the strategy generating unit indicating the emission timing of the pulses, and an intensity signal predetermined for each pulse.

Claim:

What is claimed is:

1. A laser control circuit adapted to modulate a light intensity of a laser beam irradiated for recording multilevel information on an optical information recording medium,wherein an area of the optical information recording medium is divided into approximately uniform cells, and marks that can be formed in a plurality of sizes are recorded on the cells according to the multilevel information being recorded by adjusting atime width of a bias power period and an off power period of the laser beam, said laser control circuit comprising: a unit that inputs a clock signal indicating a cell frequency and the multilevel information corresponding to each cell, and determines alaser beam emission waveform for each cell based on the input clock signal and multilevel information, wherein a period of an n-multiplied frequency (n being an integer) of the clock signal indicating the cell frequency is used as a step in setting thelaser beam emission waveform, and wherein the time width of the bias power period is based on an equation: Tb=(a-1)Tx+Ty, where Tb is the time width of the bias power period, a is a multilevel value, Tx is a unit of time width, and Ty is a time widthprovided for each level of multilevel information.